1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system having a MAC layer and a physical layer. In particular, the present invention relates to a physical layer sleep control method, and for example, is used for an aggregation transmission method of linking a plurality of frames when communication conforming to IEEE 802.11n is performed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless communication is performed according to a frame format prescribed in the standard for each wireless communication and a communication control protocol. According to the foregoing format and protocol, communication is performed between a key station, that is, an access point (AP) and a terminal (branch station), that is, a station (STA) and between wireless communication terminals. In this case, usually, a management frame or frame having an upper layer from a management layer is sequentially transmitted one by one.
For example, in wireless LAN communication, communication is performed between a key station and a terminal and between terminals according to a frame format and a communication control protocol, which are prescribed in Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11. In this case, usually, a management frame having a media access control (MAC) layer or upper layer frame is sequentially transmitted one by one.
However, the conventional case requires the same power consumption as received a frame having a high reception success possibility even if a frame having a low reception success possibility is received.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2006-42075 discloses a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication system. In the communication system, a specified reception branch only is operated or waited to operate a necessary and minimum reception branch only.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-303585 discloses the following method. According to the method, sleep time is set based on transmission time extracted from a header of a received frame, and reception is stopped while a timer operates.